Gardens to visit

Gardens open to visitors in different ways. Some open their gates to everyone on set days. Others take visitors on a date agreed beforehand with the owner.

Private gardens that open for charity

The National Garden Scheme opens over 3,300 private gardens in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands. The money it raises through admissions, teas and cake goes to nursing and health charities. The scheme has funded them since 1927.

In 2026, 937 of its gardens also open By Arrangement. A group can be anything from one person to more than 20, depending on the garden.

Scotland has its own charity, Scotland's Gardens Scheme. It opens gardens across Scotland to raise money for charity.

The RHS gardens

The Royal Horticultural Society has five gardens of its own: Wisley in Surrey, Hyde Hall in Essex, Rosemoor in Devon, Harlow Carr in Yorkshire and Bridgewater in Greater Manchester.

RHS Partner Gardens are independent gardens, each open on its own terms. At selected times, RHS members get in free. Some open only in certain months or on certain days. The RHS keeps a Partner Garden search with current visiting times. It recommends checking dates and times before travelling, since a garden may close for an event or in high winds.

Historic gardens

The registers record a garden's history and design. Opening times come from the garden itself.

In Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland keeps the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes. It holds around 370 sites. Country estates are the most common kind, alongside botanic gardens, public parks, golf courses and cemeteries.

A garden on the Inventory stays the property of its owners. Historic Environment Scotland has no part in running it day to day.

In Northern Ireland, the Department for Communities keeps the Register of Parks, Gardens and Demesnes of Special Historic Interest. Around 252 sites are on its main Register.

In Wales, Cadw registers parks and gardens of special historic interest. They range from rural parks around country houses and deer parks to town gardens, hospital grounds and public parks.

Parks & Gardens UK lists parks and gardens county by county. The Gardens Trust has a finder for the local County Gardens Trusts.

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